More than Once upon a time
by Abei Nile
Summary: Kel and Dom have a growing family, full of twins, cousins, and many unexpected visits. Hope they had a good vacation! :)
1. Chapter 1

**Any content recognized from Tamora Pierce's or another author's work is not mine. Don't give ****_me_**** credit… J**

**More than once upon a time**

Chapter 1

Keladry smiled as she watched her children play in the gardens, running around and hiding between the bushes. Alise and Jonah, the twins, were six, and their younger sister, Andrea, or Andy as they called her, was three. They had grown up so fast, and their family was still growing. Neal and Yuki had four children, Kasa, Dmitri, Alan, and Alina. Dmitri was four, Alan was two, and Alina, the baby, was just turning one in two weeks. Kasa was the same age as the twins, so they usually played together, but the family was on vacation.

Dom, Kel, and the children were in the Yamani Isles for the last weeks of spring. Jonathan had decided to let his Commander and Protector go so they could relax and spend time as a family.

_Where is Dom, anyway?_ Kel wondered. _He was just going to the market…_

"Hey there, sweetheart."

Kel looked up.

"Dom! What took you so long? "

Domitan of Masbolle smiled, pulling her into a short and sweet kiss.

"I was stopped on the way home by a very important guest."

"Who was it? Come on…" Kel pleaded when Dom shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, how about we round up the kids and head back inside."

"Fine… Alise, Jonathan, time to go in! Make sure you find Andy and bring her in, too, please."

The family of five went inside to get ready for dinner. When then came back to the downstairs dining hall, they did indeed see a very important guest. _Two_ very important guests.

"Neal! Yuki! What are you doing here? Where are the kids?"

"Aww, you know, just stopping by," Neal replied to Kel's question.

"Neal… We're here to say hello to my mother. Jonathan's not anticipating any action from Scanra anytime soon, so he let us visit while we can. The children are on their way. They spent the day with their grandmother," Yuki said.

"Uncle Meathead! Aunt Yuki!" The children yelled when they ran into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kel asked the servants to bring in six more chairs for their new guests.

"So, why did you stop here, Meathead?" Dom asked with a smile.

"_Sir _Meathead. Soon to be _Captain_ Meathead," Nealan of Queenscove insisted.

"Oh, really? Of what, do you say?"

"Captain of the Third! Since _someone_ was switched to the First."

"Hey!-" Dom protested.

"That's enough said, sir husband of mine. That's great Neal!" Kel interrupted. If the two cousins weren't stopped, they could tease and argue for hours, but it was all in their relationship.

Dinner arrived, chicken and rice, a Yamani delicacy. Dom and Neal were arguing about their abilities until they switched to information from Scanra in the north.

The children were finishing quickly and started to run off to play.

Kel and Yuki were deep in conversation about what things had been like in each other's lives for the past couple of weeks.

"So, I heard Scanra's not up for fighting right now… Thanks to you," Yuki smiled.

"I didn't do much, I had a lot of help! And now I'm stuck with a nickname-'Protector of the Small'!"Kel protested.

"Well, no one else seems to think it wasn't mostly you! The nickname was inevitable, Kel. When you save all of Tortall from a Scanran massacre, it's to be expected that people want to give you a nickname! And speaking of expecting…"

"What? Let me guess…" Kel interrupted, smiling, "You're having another baby!"

"How did you guess?" Yuki wondered, but she was not surprised her friend could tell these things about her. Kel definitely was special, that's for sure. She was going to have to remind Dom of that later.

"How long have you known?" Kel asked.

"A couple days. This will make 5 kids for you to take care of when both Neal and I have something to do. Or maybe six, you never know!" Yuki replied, with a smile.

"Good luck to me if it's more twins! Alise and Jonah are already a handful!" Kel joked. She loved the twins, but they were definitely troublemakers. She couldn't wait for them to grow up, although if they went to the palace she would miss them dearly.

"You could always make Dom take care of all of them, you know," Yuki said. _That _would be a sight. Dom wasn't bad with kids, but he would definitely be overwhelmed if he had to take care of _all_ the kids.

"I heard my name! Are you talking about us, ladies?" Dom asked. Kel and Yuki rolled their eyes. Men.

"No, we were just talking about saddling you with all the kids the next time we all go away," Kel told him, putting on her Yamani mask to make sure she didn't laugh at his reply.

"Okay", he said, turning back to his conversation with Neal, "Wait, what?"

Kel and Yuki finally gave in and started laughing.

After a half hour more of conversation, Kel and Yuki decided that they should probably round up the kids, since it was probably time for Neal and Yuki to head back to Yuki's mother's house, where they were staying. Kel and Dom were staying at Kel's house from when she lived in the Yamani Islands in her childhood. They said their goodbye's and they went back inside.

"Alright, time to go to bed," Kel told her children.

"But mom…" Jonah protested.

"Come on, guys, up you go," Dom said, ushering Alise and Jonah up to their room. Kel picked up Andy, since she was almost asleep, and carried her up to her room to put her to bed.

Once the children were put to bed, Dom and Kel went up to their room.

"Did Neal tell you about Yuki?" Kel asked.

"No, what's wrong?" Dom replied, looking worried.

"Nothing! Yuki's having another baby!" Kel said, smiling.

"Oh, wow! So, what, they'll have five little ones now?" Dom asked, a teasing smile on his lips. Kel kissed him before she said,

"Hopefully! I don't know what I would do with two sets of twins to watch!"

"Well, you could give one set to me to look after," he said.

"Really, you would do that?" Kel asked in wonderment.

"Anything for you, my dear," he replied. They smiled at each other before kissing good-night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Good morning!" Kel sang as she walked to the twins' room. "If you want to get breakfast, you better wake up soon! Especially you, Jonah. If you want to grow up and be a knight, you need to wake up extra early."

She smiled when she walked in, seeing them dressed and combing their hair.

"Let me help you with that, Li," Kel said, using her nickname for Alise,"We can give Emily a break for the morning." Emily was the twin's nurse and maid. She came back with Kel from the Yamani Islands when the twins were born.

"Mama?" Alise asked quietly.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"When Jonah goes to the castle, do I have to go, too?" she asked.

"No, of course not! You only have to go if you really want to. Why did you change your mind?" Kel asked.

"Yeah, Lisi, why? We would have so much fun together!" Jonah added.

"I don't want to be the only girl there," Alise replied, still quiet. Kel thought for a second. Then she said,

"Jonah, why don't you go downstairs. Your father might eat all the oatmeal without you if you don't hurry. Alise and I will be right down," Kel told her son. Then, she turned to her daughter.

"Hey Li, you know how I was a page when Uncle Neal was a page, too?"

"Uncle Meathead."

"Yes, Uncle Meathead. He was my guide. When I was in New Hope, I met a little girl who could tell the future," Kel started.

"What does that have to do with me? And why are you smiling?" Alise demanded.

"That little girl told me something funny that I haven't told your Uncle Neal yet."

"What?" Alise asked.

"Kasa's the same age as you, you know. AND, she's going to want to go to the castle, too!" Kel smiled when Alise looked up.

"Thanks, Mama. I changed my mind again. I'll go."


End file.
